Sports
Detroit Pistons Are Firing on All Cylinders Once Again
Back when the Detroit Pistons were merely a season or two removed from their most recent playoff series victory, a parody tourism video and T-shirt needled the Motor City.
“Cleveland,” its slogan began, “We’re Not Detroit.”
Someone wearing such apparel around an NBA fan today might be in line for comeuppance. No, the Pistons aren’t quite the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, but with both teams riding separate eight-game winning streaks, there’s no one enjoying a comparable heat wave.
The same Pistons franchise that lost a franchise-record 28 successive games last season entered Thursday one game out of the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. A jelling blend of youth and veterans is on Detroit’s side, of course, yet home-court advantage might also be a helpful harbinger as the Pistons aim to capture a playoff series for the first time since 2008.
Both attributes boosted Detroit to its latest win, Wednesday’s 117-97 home rout of the shorthanded defending NBA champion Boston Celtics.
Malik Beasley led the Pistons with 26 points, while the young duo of guard Cade Cunningham (21 points, 11 assists) and center Jalen Duren (13 points, 11 rebounds) both notched double-doubles.
“They’re well-coached,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “You’ve seen the rise of Cade Cunningham, his ability and his shot quality has increased a ton. You used to be able to bait him into lower shot quality possessions, but he’s done a much better job at finding high-quality possessions from a shooting standpoint. [Jalen] Duren’s gotten better, just his overall development.
“They’ve won, what, eight out of 10? I think a lot of it has to do with their ability to take care of the [defensive end]. It starts with those guys, but you got [Malik] Beasley, [Tim] Hardaway. … They’re well-coached and well-balanced.”
And even-keeled.
“I told whoever asked me before the game if it’s a big game, I said, ‘It’s another game for me,’” Beasley said. “At this point of our journey we’re all about ourselves, and I think that’s what’s taken this to another level. … For us to get this win is huge.”
Even with a crowd of 20,062 roaring its approval as the final seconds ticked down Wednesday, the Pistons maintained composure, viewing the ovation only as a short-term reward. Boston, which had won 10 of 11, played without multiple key pieces of its rotation, including second-leading scorer Jaylen Brown (left quad).
The second-seeded Celtics hope to be more whole when they welcome the Cavaliers on Friday night.
The Pistons, meanwhile, will host the Western Conference-contending Denver Nuggets in a bid to avoid their first loss since a three-point defeat against Cleveland on Feb. 5.
“We’re just focused on the process of it all,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “We’re not focused on tonight, what we’ve done in the past. The only thing we’re focused on is every night, being the best version of ourselves. And [Wednesday] I thought we were pretty close.”
No, Detroit might not yet be Cleveland in the NBA landscape, but its Pistons certainly are charging.
Sports
Union open new era under Ryan Richter against Red Bulls
Nov 23, 2025; Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Union defender Kai Wagner (27) reacts after a foul in the first half against New York City FC at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-Imagn Images Less than one year after claiming the Supporters’ Shield for the best record in Major League Soccer, the Philadelphia Union are facing a full rebuild.
The Union brought back an old face and promoted someone new ahead of the second half of the season, which begins for them Wednesday against the New York Red Bulls in Chester, Pa.
Philadelphia (1-10-4, 7 points) went from first to worst in a matter of months and fired coach Bradley Carnell in May after closing the first half with a 6-4 loss to Inter Miami.
Ryan Richter, a Philly-area native who has coached in the Union’s system since 2018, was named interim head coach. The 37-year-old led their MLS Next Pro affiliate team in 2025-26. Wednesday’s rivalry meeting against New York will be his first match in charge.
“I’m focused on the team, on the game on Wednesday, and the stuff that I’m personally excited about, I’m trying to put to the side right now and just focus on the team’s performance and preparing the guys in the best way possible for the game,” Richter said.
The Union began reconfiguring their lineup by reacquiring defender Kai Wagner from England’s Birmingham City. Wagner played for Philadelphia from 2019-25 and was transferred to Birmingham City just seven months ago.
Richter said Wagner, who played in 204 contests for the Union, is available for selection.
“He’s fit, he’s ready to play and it’s not only Kai and the fans that want him out there, it’s the coaching staff and it’s his teammates that also want him out there.”
Also available is midfielder Quinn Sullivan, who could make his season debut following a torn ACL last September.
The Red Bulls (6-5-4, 22 points) are much closer to where they’d like to be, having gone 3-0-1 in their final four games before the break. Jorge Ruvalcaba scored four of his seven goals in that span, while 18-year-old Julian Hall paces the club with nine.
New York head coach Michael Bradley made sure his team is prepared for a challenge despite the Union’s record. He reflected what’s probably the prevailing feeling in MLS after the World Cup break: this week will feel like a fresh start.
“I think for Philadelphia, for any team in the league that isn’t or wasn’t so satisfied with the first half of the season, I think they’ll have used the summer preseason in the best way possible,” Bradley said, “and they will start with a renewed sense of energy and optimism and they’ll have made a point to themselves, internally, that this can be the new beginning.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Banged-up Liberty hope to stop the bleeding vs. Sky
Jul 20, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; New York Liberty guard Marine Fauthoux (4) dribbles the ball up court against the Dallas Wings during the first half at College Park Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images It’s almost unthinkable, but it’s true. The New York Liberty — WNBA champions in 2024 and this year’s Commissioner’s Cup champs — are in danger of missing the league’s eight-team playoffs.
New York is 14-12 and a half-game above eighth place. The Liberty have lost eight of their past 11 games as they prepare to host the Chicago Sky on Wednesday night.
The Liberty have two former league MVPs in Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones. Stewart, Jones, Sabrina Ionescu and Satou Sabally are multiple-time All-Stars. However, Ionescu has missed 12 games due to injuries, and Sabally has been out since June 23 due to concussion protocol.
In addition, key starter Leonie Fiebich has not played since July 3 due to a foot injury, and guard Marine Johannes is questionable for Wednesday’s game due to an ankle injury.
In New York’s most recent game, a 99-98 overtime win at Dallas on Monday, the Liberty turned to seldom-used rookie guard Marine Fauthoux, who scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. It was easily the best performance of her five-game WNBA career.
Fauthoux, New York’s third-round pick in 2021, is a 25-year-old from France who signed a developmental contract for this season.
Now, due to the injuries, she’s getting a look.
“It was hard to watch other people play,” Fauthoux told the New York Post. “But I was sure my time would come.”
While New York is seventh in the standings, Chicago (9-17) sits in 12th place. The Sky are just 4-10 on the road and 1-8 in the Eastern Conference.
The Sky have faced the Liberty just once this season, losing 96-95 in Chicago on June 17. With just 10 seconds left in that game, Ionescu hit the winning layup with her left hand. That was New York’s eighth straight win at that time, and Sabally, Fiebich and Johannes all played.
Perhaps the Sky will be able to take advantage of New York’s weakened state.
However, Chicago’s Skylar Diggins, a seven-time All-Star who scored 19 points in that previous Liberty game, hasn’t played since July 3 due to a knee injury.
One of the Sky players to watch is former Liberty point guard Natasha Cloud, who averages 9.8 points and 4.5 assists and should have added motivation against her old team.
Kamilla Cardoso could give the Liberty trouble due to her 6-foot-7 frame. She’s averaging 14.2 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds.
Rookies Sydney Taylor (13.5 ppg) and Gabriela Jaquez (8.5 ppg) can both get hot and score.
“I’m always confident in my shooting,” Taylor said in a recent press conference, “and that’s regardless if I go 8-for-8 or 0-for-8.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reds homer 4 times to clinch series win over Rockies
Jul 19, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson (37) celebrates his two run home run with third baseman Eugenio Suarez (28) in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Tyler Stephenson slugged a pair of home runs, Sal Stewart and Nathaniel Lowe each hit three-run homers and the Cincinnati Reds overcame Hunter Goodman’s three home runs in a 9-6 win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday in Denver.
Hunter Greene (2-1) allowed three runs on four hits with zero walks and seven strikeouts over six innings to help the Reds win the rubber match of a three-game series.
Stephenson hit a two-run homer in the first inning, a solo shot in the fifth and a double in the seventh for Cincinnati, which has won 18 of its last 22 meetings against the Rockies. Dane Myers added two hits.
Goodman hit three home runs in a game for the second time this season and drove in five runs for Colorado, which lost for the fourth time in its last five games. Willi Castro added a solo homer in the ninth inning.
The Reds pounced on Colorado starter Ryan Feltner (3-4) for five runs on four hits in the first inning.
With two outs and two runners on, Lowe deposited Feltner’s 1-0 slider over the right field wall for his 11th homer of the season. Eugenio Suarez followed with a single and scored on Stephenson’s homer to left-center field.
Goodman put the Reds on the board with a two-out solo homer in the bottom of the first.
Cincinnati tacked on three runs in the second inning. Myers hit a leadoff double, Elly De La Cruz walked and Stewart turned on Feltner’s first offering for his 20th homer of the season.
Feltner yielded eight runs on seven hits over 2 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three.
Stephenson hit a one-out solo homer in the fifth inning against Tanner Gordon for his eighth homer of the season.
Greene retired nine straight batters before allowing Jake McCarthy’s leadoff single in the sixth inning. With one out, Goodman hit a 435-foot blast to left-center field.
Goodman delivered again with a two-run homer in the eighth inning against Sam Moll. The 442-foot blast was his team-high 30th homer of the season.
–Field Level Media
Union open new era under Ryan Richter against Red Bulls
Trash Can Future Man Saves World From AI Apocalypse In Unhinged, R-Rated Sci-Fi Comedy
